Yours As We Go Over
by my-chemical-romanoff
Summary: With the Black Widow under his control, who is there to stop him? Contains AoU spoilers, Untimates!AU in future chapters. Blackfrost.
1. Chapter 1

"When are you visiting, Aunty Nat?" the eager and shrill voice of a child begs.

Natasha balances the phone between her cheek and shoulder as her fingers type into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database. "Hopefully soon. Maybe I'll try this weekend." They both know that's a lie.

"You said that last week!"

 _Laura and Clint raised one hell of a clever girl._ "I know. You'll have to blame Uncle Nick for that, kiddo."

"But I have **two** loose teeth!" the little girl exclaims. "Cooper says he's gonna yank them out in my sleep-can you pull 'em out for me?"

"Wow," Natasha breathes in amusement. "You want me to do the honours?"

"It won't hurt if you do it."

"I can be gentle," Natasha promises. She suddenly overhears Laura on the other end scolding her daughter about bothering Clint at work.

"It's Aunty Nat!" Lila pipes back.

"That's even worse!" Laura sighs. "You can't bother her, sweetie."

"Aunty Nat, am I bothering you?" the child sulks.

Natasha downloads a file for her next mission onto a thumb drive. "Not at all," she says with a grin. "But I think you should listen to your mom."

"You'll come see me?"

"Lila!" Laura huffs.

"I'll do my best, kid," she expertly lies. "Keep those teeth in for me." The little girl squeals as she ends the call. As thick skinned as the Black Widow seems, she's got a soft spot for two particular children that call her 'Aunty.' A visit is long overdue. There's nothing worse than having to constantly lie and disappoint those kids. She begins skimming through the file when an urgent evacuation notice blares over the speaker system.

" _All personnel, an evacuation order has been confirmed!_ "

Her phone goes off and she immediately answers her boss' call. "Sir?"

"I'm about to touch down," Nick Fury states, ignoring the obnoxious honking of an alarm on her end. "Meet me at the portal."

Natasha wordlessly hangs up and shuts down her computer as she fights her way through the bustling crowd of agents. "Hold the doors!" she barks at the nearest elevator. An agent nods and lets his arm block the doors from closing on the Widow. The lower level agents all know who she is, and they're aware of just how terrifying she can be. "Basement level first, evacuate later," Natasha warns as she squeezes in between a frantic group of newbies (she knows they're new-they're cowering as if they've never heard an alarm in their life).

Natasha greets Dr. Erik Selvig at Fury's designated location. "What happened?" she demands as she approaches a steel contraption at the heart of the room.

"Energy readings," Selvig states as he closely examines the Tesseract hovering inside a set of iron rings. "I've never seen the readings so high." He runs a hand through his already messy white hair as he motions a scientist closer. "I need Director Fury."

"He's close," Natasha assures. "What can I do?"

He waves the assassin away. "Keep your distance. We don't know what she'll do."

A scientist brings a long needle towards the glowing cube, but the Tesseract fights back by directing a spark of blue fire towards him.

"We're detecting another spike!" a woman shouts from her station. "Five, four…"

Natasha approaches the woman's monitor to sneak a peek at the cube's radiation signatures. They increase and another zap from the Tesseract echoes in the building.

"Doctor Selvig!" Nick Fury marches in with Maria Hill in tow. "Talk to me, Doctor."

Natasha eavesdrops in on the conversation. She overhears "gamma radiation" being mentioned and she has a feeling that her next mission is about to be traded in for a newer one…

"Agent Romanoff!" Fury barks.

As if right on cue, she hurries to the Director's side.

Nick saunters away from Selvig and heads for a raised platform surrounded by panels of yellow lights. "I've had Barton monitoring his work over the past week," Fury begins once he senses Natasha at his side. "So far, he's seen no suspicious activities…"

"You think Selvig's up to something?" Natasha quietly assumes, eyes flickering over to the frantic doctor.

"Something- some _one_ is messing with this, and he's the only one yet to be entirely cleared by our system."

"His overall record is clean," Natasha vows. "We haven't had any disappearances or other abnormalities." She turns to her boss. "If someone's tampering with this, it's not on this end."

Fury gives her a stern look with a hint of confusion. "'At this end?'" he repeats.

"Think of the cube as a doorway." Natasha folds her arms across her chest as she admires the bright blue Tesseract.

"It's spiking again!" a scientist shouts.

"Door open from both sides," Natasha finishes.

"Get back!" Selvig yells.

Natasha and Fury simultaneously direct their attention to the cube as it surges, illuminating the rings holding it in place with jolts of blue lightning. The floor begins to shake and Natasha braces herself as a mild earthquake rumbles. She starts to back away and Nick does the same.

The Tesseract surges once again, only this time, its piercing wail resounds as a whirlpool of blinding light surrounds the cube. All of its pent-up energy morphs into a beam of light that strikes the platform.

Natasha's jaw drops as a portal to a starry night sky opens up.

"Son of a bitch," Nick breathes.

Natasha stares in awe until the void becomes a blinding blue flame. The light sweeps towards her and she covers her face as an icy wind gusts past her.

"Romanoff!" Fury growls.

She cracks open an eye to find that the Tesseract's flame burns at the very center of a platform. Through the brightness, she spots a lone silhouette, and she readies her gun.

A cloud of thick smoke forms as the fire diminishes and a small army of armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents creep over to the platform.

The silhouette is revealed to be a man with messy dark hair. Though Natasha can't identify what region his clothes are from, he looks human. She raises her glock as the stranger's eyes rest on Fury, then her, then Selvig…

"Sir, please put down the spear!" Fury shouts.

Natasha eyes the stranger's weapon. A sparkling blue gem rests between a set of sharp daggers. She's never seen a weapon like it, and judging from the stranger's furrowed brows, he's never seen it, either.

The man raises his spear as if admiring it for the first time. His eyes then flicker to Fury as he raises his weapon.

Natasha lunges at her boss, sending them both to the ground as a burst of energy hits a machine planted directly behind where the Director was standing.

Gunfire rings out and Natasha collects herself after tumbling into the floor. She rises to her feet in time to spot the stranger plunge his dagger through an agent's heart. More bullets fire, but they don't faze him. He simply deflects them right back at the guns' owners, killing them instantly. Natasha scowls and fires a shot at him. He takes note and shoots her a glare before sending an energy beam towards her. She's one step ahead of him and she easily manages to roll away. Natasha keeps to the floor while stealing glances at her surroundings. Everyone appears to be down, whether dead or faking it. She hops to her feet and makes sure her tazer bracelets are ready to fire. Natasha points her fist at the newcomer from yards away. She fires, but he speeds towards her in a matter of seconds. He grabs her by the arm and twists it back, forcing her to relinquish her gun as her shoulder threatens to dislocate itself. Her free hand punches him in the side and gives him a taste of 10,000 volts, but his body hardly trembles. All she can do is stare at his pale and sweaty face as he watches her with a cruel smirk.

"You have a heart," he purrs in an English accent. The man raises his weapon and lightly presses the blade's tip against her chest.

Natasha feels like the wind has been knocked out of her and she blacks out.

"Natalia…"

Her vision clears and her mind feels as if it's in a fog. She glances up at the stranger and the fog instantly lifts. Natasha knows him. _My King._

He flashes her a knowing look and Natasha kneels to grab her gun. She locks it into her holster and eyes her master as he sends her another wordless command. He begins to walk and she follows closely behind.

Natasha observes as he raises his scepter to a new agent who becomes his.

"Please, don't," her master says aloud. "I still need that…" He turns his head towards Fury who is currently hiding the Tesseract in a steel briefcase.

Natasha glares the Director's direction, awaiting an order to kill.

"This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury remarks, his back facing the stranger.

"Of course it does." The raven-haired man straightens his back. "I've come too far for anything else."

Natasha is on her toes as the Director turns to face him. One order is all it will take for her to pull the trigger.

"I am Loki," he announces. "Of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

 _Loki._ Natasha feels nostalgic towards the name as she watches him exchange banter with Fury. The name feels comforting in an odd sense. He is her ruler, her King…

Loki saunters up to Erik Selvig and taps him with his scepter.

Her glare hardens as Fury continues to move his lips, spouting nonsense. "Sir!" She walks towards Loki. It is her duty to protect and serve him, even at the cost of her life. "Director Fury is stalling," she warns. "The portal." She glances up at a ring of azure fire that hovers over the platform. "It's unstable and ready to take us all out."

"She's right!" Erik announces after rushing over to a monitor. "The portal is collapsing in on itself."

Loki turns to Natasha, sending her an unspoken plan of attack. "Shall we go, then?"

Natasha raises her gun to Fury and shoots him in the chest. He's not dead-bulletproof vest, but it forces him to stumble backwards, giving her time to steal the briefcase housing the Tesseract. She hands the case to Selvig as she guides Loki to a loading room where a row of trucks await. Maria Hill eyes the group as Natasha marches over to the sets of keys for each vehicle. Loki hops into the bed of the truck and crouches, one hand gripping a railing, the other, his scepter.

"Hill!" A voice muffled with static breaks the silence. "R…Romanoff. Compro-" The voice is abruptly cut off, but Maria comprehends the warning message.

Maria fires a shot at her co-worker, but Natasha evades and pulls her gun's trigger in the process, successfully hitting Maria in the shoulder.

With Hill down, Natasha dashes into her truck and speeds off. Agents are quick to chase them down, but Natasha won't give in. She notices Loki raise his spear in the rearview mirror.

He manages to blast the windshield out of the car behind them. The impact forces it to flip across the pavement, smashing into another truck in the process.

Natasha presses the gas as far as it will go as rubble begins raining from the tunnel's ceiling. She spots the facility's entrance and the ground begins to rumble. Natasha's eyes flicker to the rearview mirror to find Loki's eyes staring back at her. She smirks, and they escape the S.H.I.E.L.D. base as the roar of crumbling rocks fills the night air. The path behind them caves in on itself, but they're out of the worst of the mess. A helicopter soon whirs overhead and Natasha spots Fury pointing his gun to her as he braces himself beside the wide open door. He shoots, but Natasha swerves the car so that the windshield in the only one to suffer any harm.

Loki scowls and delivers a blast up at the flying mechanism and sends it crashing down into the dirt.

"Looks like we're clear," Natasha notes. She continues driving at full speed ahead, occasionally checking the rearview mirror. They're alone, and safe, but only for now. "Where to?" she asks, watching Loki from the mirror.

He licks his lips before flashing her a proud smirk.


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha drives the group to a base in New Mexico under Erik's directions. They settle into the base and anyone daring enough to question who Loki is quickly becomes his mind slave.

"I entrust the Tesseract to you until a new portal is created," Loki orders Erik once the scientist establishes a section of the base to build his portal.

"You may want to be careful about that," Natasha interrupts. "The gamma signature it lets off will give us away once Nick Fury gets ahold of his specialist."

"Specialist?" Loki inquires. He gestures for Natasha to follow him down a brick tunnel lit with a sickly yellow hue. "Tell me more." He crosses his arms behind his back, securely gripping his scepter.

No one is more deserving of her organization's darkest secrets than Loki. "Dr. Bruce Banner," she begins. A couple of scientists in white bustle past them. "He's an expert in the gamma rays that have altered his anatomy."

Loki arches a brow.

"When anger is triggered, he becomes this…" She recalls videos of the Hulk's last attack on Harlem. "Monster."

His brows furrow and he guides her to a set of stone steps. He sits and she follows suit. "A monster."

"They call it the Hulk," she continues. "He's huge, green…and Banner isn't in his right mind when the beast takes over."

"That is all I have to fear?"

Natasha shakes her head. "There's more. Clint Barton is an expert marksman-never misses a target."

"I can easily evade his attacks," Loki cockily retorts.

"Then there's Tony Stark. He's more than just brains and money. He has these iron suits whose power levels match what your scepter can do." Her eyes rest on the blue gem housed within his weapon. "But maybe not as powerful."

Loki smirks and sets the gold-hilted staff aside. "And that is all?"

"Steve Rogers is the last one, but you shouldn't take him lightly," she advises. "He's nicknamed 'Captain America,' and he's basically a super human. Enhanced strength, speed, healing… We're actually the same in that respect."

"You can hold your own in a fight, then?" Clearly not against him, but Loki knows a god's strength is impossible to match.

"I can," she nods. "And I'll defend you with my life," she vows, her bright blue eyes flickering as she meets his gaze.

"Well." Loki grabs his scepter and rises to his feet. "Thanos will grow testy if he fails to get his portal."

"Thanos?" Natasha suspiciously eyes him and rises to her feet. Loki went on about a portal during their car ride, but never a Thanos.

"I am here doing a favour for him, one that will benefit me in the end."

"And what's that?" she wonders.

Loki flashes her a wide smirk. "I become ruler of this realm."

Natasha walks alongside him as they venture down a tunnel in search of where they abandoned Erik. "Aren't you already a King?" Loki watches her with interest. "I…" Natasha brings her eyes forward. "I sensed it when you opened my eyes."

"Natalia?"

She turns, ready to accept any request.

"How would you like to become my Queen?"

The Natasha Romanoff in her right mind would deny him right off the bat. "If that's what you want." But the Natasha Romanoff under the influence of a god can't refuse to say no.

"Erik Selvig," Loki announces as he nears the older Midgardian. "I trust my portal is coming along." _'Locate my realm, boy, and I will send an army to aid you.'_ The titan's words echo in Loki's skull.

"You ask for a portal into space," Erik begins. "Space is… quite vast, sir," he notes, carefully observing a scientist as she admires the Tesseract. "What is it that you're seeking?"

"Thanos' realm," the god boldly answers. "He is to send forth an army once I open the portal."

Erik's mouth gapes open and shut as his mind races. "I'm still acquiring the necessary pieces, Sir."

"Can you not rebuild it?" Loki crisply asks with a glare.

Erik glances around, curious as to what the surrounding researchers are hard at work on. "We seem to have everything we need but iridium."

Natasha notes a vein in Loki's neck becoming more pronounced. "I'll find it," Natasha states as she moves towards the nearest computer. "I can hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.S.' database and see where they're hiding some."

Loki nods in approval as he hovers behind the redhead. Picking her was a wise choice.

Natasha normally pushes away anyone lingering so close to her while she's hard at work, but Loki's presence is different. It's calming, maybe due to his familiar scent of leather and gun powder.

The god leans forward, his face close to hers. He pretends to be watching her screen as words and numbers flash, but really, he's admiring the floral scent of her hair that's being masked by smoke and sweat. She's done an excellent job thus far, and when she pulls through for him, he plans to reward her greatly.

"Closest I'm getting is Stuttgart, Germany," Natasha states. "Are there any substitutes we can use?" she asks, eyes on Erik.

"Manufacturing our own will take too long and won't be as effective. It's necessary in stabilizing the portal," Selvig answers.

Natasha narrows her eyes and decides to check if any enemies on file would have any.

"It's very rare," Selvig interrupts as he watches the redhead continue searching. "What you've found could very well be it."

"Is Germany far?" Loki inquires.

"It's a plane ride away…" Natasha turns to a neighboring scientist checking their monitor. "We need a jet prepped," she orders. "No tracking, no nothing. This is a covert mission."

The young man begins to shake his head, but Loki gives him a reason to apologise and obey Natasha's whims.

"This woman is your superior," Loki warns the agent as he pricks the man's chest with his silver spear. "You are to follow our commands and make haste."

The scientist dumbly nods as his crystal blue eyes focus on Loki's face.

Natasha watches as Loki's newest puppet hurries off to get a jet ready. "This man who has the iridium," she mentions, grabbing Loki's attention. "I may need a day or two to track his whereabouts… And find a good time to meet him one-on-one about this."

"Very well," Loki agrees.

"The only remaining issue is money," Natasha flatly continues. "We need cash-any credit or debit cards used could be a potential red flag for Fury." She already made sure that her and Erik's phones were reduced to dust once they fled S.H.I.E.L.D.S.' destroyed base.

The Midgardian barter system remains a mystery to Loki. "You needn't worry," he vows, raising his staff. "I have the means to get us whatever we need."

"Clothes?" she challenges.

"That should be no problem."

Natasha gives his dusty trench coat a good look. "Clothes from around here…"

"I already have a knowledge of Midgardian attire," he smirks. "Now." He turns to Erik. "When our jet is ready, have our escort wait patiently until I return."

Natasha raises a brow. Loki outstretches his hand to her and she accepts.

"A hot bath will be heavenly. Don't you agree?" he smiles.

Her day has been an unusual one. Between meeting Loki and fleeing to New Mexico over the course of one tiring night, she could use a bath. Only there weren't any near. The bulb of his scepter sparked and Natasha tightly shut her eyes when her dark surroundings brightened.

"It feels like ages since I've been here," Loki hums.

The air around her is warm and moist. Slowly, Natasha opens her eyes to discover she's standing before an open-air Roman style bath. "Where are we?" she breathes. The sky outside is black and painted with stars, but inside the marble walls, it's bright and inviting.

"A recreation of Asgard," Loki replies.

She watches the god as his naked body struts towards the steaming bath. Glancing down at her own body, Natasha finds that she's as naked as he is, but she feels no anger in regards to Loki's latest magic trick.

Waist deep in the water, Loki carefully sets his scepter at the bath's edge before fully submerging himself.

Natasha's grimy skin is itching to join him, and her feet splash past chilled puddles until she reaches the steps into the lavender scented water.

Loki's eyes travel down her neck to hungrily take in her ample breasts, then down her side where a faint scar presents itself, and down her slender legs as she stands ankle deep. "Natalia," he purrs.

His silky voice sounds as refreshing as the water feels.

"Come to me," he huskily growls.

A twinge in her belly follows a warmth between her legs. Natasha isn't easy-she's a trial to get to, but her King sends her strong will straight out the window. His lustful gaze draws her in, sending her hip deep into the silky waters until the tips of her toes brush his. "My King?" Her eyes flicker a brilliant sky blue.

Loki licks his lips as he reaches beneath the water to feel his pulsing cock.

Natasha inches closer, stopping when she feels his tip poke her stomach.

Loki purses his lips and he fights back a gasp. The hot water is already making his length extra sensitive.

She notes the prominent vein in his neck as his lips form a thin line. "You want me to fuck you?" she winks, her own voice raspy with need.

He manages a confident grin. His mouth opens to answer, but her fingers squeeze his cock, evoking a strained "yes!"

Natasha begins lightly pumping him. He's cold, making the contrast against the hot water feel nice. Her body can hardly wait to take in every inch of his length.

Loki bows his head and groans. He focuses on her breasts as she works him and hears her snicker to herself. Her mocking laugh snaps him into his proper mind. Loki seizes her wrist, tightening his grip until she lets go of him. _He_ is the one who should be in control. The pleading stare Natasha gives him tells him that she wants him just as badly. Loki pulls her towards the steps, pushing her down on the first ledge. The water reaches her navel and she spreads her creamy legs wide open. Loki desperately grabs the marble edge and hungrily kisses her bare neck.

She flings her arms around him, moaning as his cold tongue licks away at her salty skin.

"Mine," he murmurs, lips trailing down to her breasts.

"Yes," she groans, arching her hips until she feels his cock hitting her stomach. "Loki…"

His hips draw back, forcing a whimper from Natasha. "Desperate?" he croons.

Natasha reaches between her legs to rub her slick entrance. "Fuck me!" she hisses.

Loki brings his face close to hers. "Who am I to you?"

Her brows furrow in agitation. "Loki."

"Your master?" he prods.

Even under his control, Natasha hates the small talk. "My King," she answers, locking her ankles around his hips.

Loki's smile widens. _King…_ "Louder," he croons.

"My-" She feels his tip tease her entrance and her voice falters. "My King!" she manages in a louder volume.

"Louder."

"M-my Ki— _Fuck!_ " Loki's hips slam into hers and she's seeing stars. "My King!" she shouts.

He picks up the pace of his hips. The water surrounding him forms waves that crash against Natasha's chest. "Again!" he orders.

"M-my King!" Natasha throws her head back as he fills her. " _Fuck!_ Loki!" she moans.

He responds with a growl as his teeth sink into her shoulder.

The heat in her belly increases with each delicious thrust. He continues to bottom out and hit her G-spot every time his cock slides back. Natasha feels her trembling legs weaken and her fingernails bury themselves into his back. "I'm close!" she pants.

Loki fixes his gaze on her face. Her eyes are squinted and her face is flushed. "Come for me." He quickens his pace as he feels his own need for release. "Come for me, Natalia."

Her back arches and the pressure in her gut feels unbearably good. "Loki!" she moans. His thrusts are faster, quicker, and her jaw drops as an orgasm seizes her. Natasha's body convulses and her inner walls grip Loki's cock in response.

He shouts his own stream of swears as he spills into her. Breathless, his hips lock in place, leaving their bodies joined as their orgasms pass.

Oh, God," Natasha moans. Her body feels limp and her breathing is ragged. She looks him straight in the eyes and bites her lower lip. "Again?"

Loki chuckles. He could have her all day, but there are more urgent matters at hand. Then again, she did mention Germany being far away…"Exactly how long will this plane ride be?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't come!" he growls, fingers roaming up her skirt as she bounces on his lap.

"L-Loki!" she pants, nails buried in his shoulders. "I c-"

"Come, and this will be your last fuck for the remainder of our trip." This is a dirty lie, but Loki finds enjoyment in pushing her buttons.

Natasha bites down on her lip until she can taste blood. Her bouncing stops as she takes in Loki's entire length.

"I never said to stop!" he hisses, slapping her ass.

A pleasured whimper escapes her throat. Her walls clench around him as her hips move in slow circles. "I need to come," she whispers, her lips grazing his collarbone.

"Then make me come!" He smacks her ass again, earning a high-pitched shout.

Natasha peels his dress shirt past his shoulders and begins clawing at his chest. "Please come." Her desperate and watery eyes gaze into his.

"Natalia…" His voice drops to a warning tone. " **Don't** stop."

Her knees dig further into their private jet's cushioned seats and she nods. She keeps her motions slow as her body screams for release. A hot strike to her rear forces her to clench around him with a gasp. "Loki!" she keens. Her walls grip him as she rides him and now it's Loki's turn to moan. "Fucking come," she groans. "Fuck, Loki…" She reaches behind her and blindly reaches for his balls.

He hisses, his voice strained as a vein in the side of his neck becomes more pronounced.

She gives his balls a light squeeze before continuing to ride him as he wraps his arms around her. "O- _Oh!_ " Her belly seizes as her orgasm takes hold of her.

"Don't stop!" Loki urges.

Natasha forces herself to keep going on sore and shaking knees, but slows when she feels the slickness dripping down his cock.

"You… came after," Loki exhales.

Natasha rolls her hips against his. "Sorry… my King."

Loki straightens their clothes and cleans up the mess they made as the jet nears the ground.

Natasha rolls up the sleeves of the dress jacket Loki gave her and smoothes her skirt as she rises from her seat. "Do you mind if we separate while I get a read on Schafer?"

"I shall join you," Loki declares.

"It could take a while," she warns.

"Iridium comes first," Loki advises.

Natasha links arms with the god as they tour the city. "We're newlyweds," she quietly mentions as they walk. "Refer to me only as Natalie. You're Luke."

Loki wonders how long it took her to come up with this scenario.

"Luke Rowling. We're from New Jersey."

He nods and clutches his staff that he made into a golden cane.

Natasha checks a slip of paper that contains a set of coordinates to her target's base. She's longing for the help of a smart phone, but an old-fashioned type of mission is just as fun. Natasha finds a tourist map and notices that she can read it as if it's in plain English. She glances at Loki as he gives her a knowing grin. He's more useful to her than imagined. They happen to pass by a sign welcoming scientists to a special gala. She recalls Schafer being a man of science and she wonders if he'll attend. "Loki… I have a plan…"

* * *

Natasha straightens the scarf draped across Loki's shoulders and tucks a stray lock of hair behind his ear. "Formal. Classy… You remember his face, right?" she asks, reaching for the new phone Loki snagged for her during a tour of the city.

"I do." He unzips the front of her catusit to expose her cleavage. "You're sure that you wish to work in this?"

She nods. "Remember to call me once you learn where he keeps the iridium. Then come straight back here."

Loki arches a brow. "You think yourself so high and mighty to order me around?"

Natasha pats the front of his black overcoat. "The faster we get this done, the faster we get back to fucking." The past two days spent awaiting the gala primarily consisted of them humping like rabbits. Natasha still feels an itch for his body, but she knows her mission needs to come first. "You can work the phone, right?"

He winks and gives her a long kiss on the lips. "I will call." He reaches for his cane before he leaves Natasha alone in their hotel room.

She blankly stares at her phone as a sequence of numbers comes to mind. The number is Clint's, but he's not the one she longs to talk to. Little Lila with her twin braids comes to mind. Natasha recalls her promise to visit, but Loki's voice at the back of her mind tells her that it's unnecessary. She sets the phone aside as Loki's imagined command wins her over. Her eyes close and she lies on the bed, her fingers tugging at her suit's zipper. She imagines Loki's grin as he drags the zipper down to her navel. Natasha forces herself to stop daydreaming and focus. Her King won't be pleased if she misses his call. Iridium is far more important than her own carnal needs.

Loki casually checks his phone and compares the photo Natasha sent him with a man standing to his far right. He saunters over to the group Schafer is telling a story to lets his false chuckle mix with the group's. "Dr. Schafer," Loki interrupts in flawless German. "I've been a fan of your work for years. You are quite an inspiration." Natasha's recommended conversational banter drives Schafer's company away, leaving Loki to speak with the scientist in peace.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr…" He pauses, awaiting the stranger's answer.

Loki lightly taps his cane against the man's chest. "I need the location of the Iridium," he hisses.

Natasha receives her king's directions and leaves the hotel room in a long black trench coat. She uses her phone's GPS to take her to Schafer's base after a twelve mile search through the city. The building has a guard blocking the entry, but Natasha easily takes him out with a narcotic launched from her stinger bracelet. She steals the guard's badge and allows herself into the building. It's empty, but it's late, making her job that much easier. She slips out of her coat and checks a text from Loki to affirm the room housing the iridium. When she reaches the door, she finds that the lock isn't supported by a pin code. Those she can easily navigate, but not a retinal scanner. She reaches for her phone and holds her breath until Loki answers. "I can't get to it. Retinal scanners," she quickly explains. "No eye, no entry."

Loki observes Schafer in his peripheral vision. "Give me a moment… I'll be sending something your way shortly."

"An _eye_?"

He ends the call as a desire for bloodlust overcomes him. This party is far too bland for his tastes… Loki saunters towards Schafer and seizes his neck. People around him begin to shout, and Loki gives them a reason to scream when a blade forms at the tip of his cane. He drags Schafer over to a marble table and throws him down. Security guards make a run for the psychopath, but an invisible barrier encases Loki. He brings the blade close to Schafer's eye and makes a sloppy incision from his waterline to cheek. His thumb and forefinger delicately reach into his skull and yank the eyeball from its socket with a gruesome snap. More screams erupt and Loki licks his lips as he takes in the hundreds of appalled faces. He lifts his crimson stained fingers and the eyeball disappears in a cloud of green fog.

Natasha feels something wet her closed palm. She unclenches her fist and her face contorts with disgust as a lone eyeball emptily stares back at her. Loki's lucky she has a strong stomach. Natasha carefully brings the eye up to the retinal scanner and she's allowed inside. A case conveniently labeled with her element beckons her, and she gladly trades the eye for the iridium. She flees the building and makes a call to Loki's S.H.I.E.L.D. base. "I've got what Selvig needs," she informs Loki's servant on the other end. "Prepare the jet and remember these coordinates…"

She waits in the hotel room for half an hour. There's still no sign of Loki, and he isn't answering his phone. She struts towards the bay window overlooking the city and wonders what lengths he took to get that eyeball...

An hour passes and Loki still fails to answer his phone. She can barely keep her eyes open, but she's anxiously awaiting his call. Sleep easily wins over, so she adjusts her phone's volume to its highest setting and places it on her pillow while she drifts off to sleep.

 _"Natalia…"_

Her eyes flutter open and she bolts upright. She glances around the hotel room, but Loki is nowhere in sight.

 _"Leave without me, Natalia,"_ Loki's voice urges.

She immediately checks her phone, but there aren't any messages. "Loki?" she breathes.

 _"I've been taken into custody by the ones you call Iron Man and Captain America."_

"Captured?" She leaves the bed to stare out the window. "Where are you?" she demands aloud.

 _"Find Selvig,"_ he orders. _"Have him track the energy readings from my scepter."_

"He'll know how to do that?"

 _"I trust his intelligence."_

Natasha is quiet for a moment. "Have they hurt you?"

 _"No,"_ he answers. _"You needn't worry about me quite yet. Get the iridium to Selvig. I will be waiting…"_


	4. Chapter 4

Natasha hands Selvig the case containing the iridium. She feels groggy from her flight, but her instinctive need to have Loki back forces her to persevere. "Loki needs you to track the readings from his scepter," she orders.

"He requires the portal," Erik mentions as he opens the case.

"Loki's missing. Finding him is our top priority," she crisply states.

Selvig watches her, his bright blue eyes flickering. "My order was to build a portal. That's what will please hi-"

Natasha slams the case shut on his fingers. She shows no remorse as Selvig pulls his limp digits away from the steel case. "Track his scepter's readings," she icily warns. " _Then_ build your damn portal." With Loki on temporary leave, Natasha knows it's her duty to show his minions who's in charge.

The speed at which Selvig tracks Loki down tells Natasha that he's eating from the palm of her hand. "The signal's moving quickly," Erik begins as he shows Natasha a flashing red dot on a monitor. "Currently over the Atlantic Ocean…"

"Send these coordinates to the jet," Natasha replies. "I'll find him from there…" Before she makes her leave, she appoints a dozen armed men to join her. Instinct tells her she'll need backup if Stark and the Captain are involved…

Natasha hovers over the pilot's shoulder as they prepare for takeoff. Loki's energy signature is moving at a much slower rate over the ocean, making Natasha wonder if he's reached the helicarrier. "Hold takeoff," she urges. The Black Widow approaches her tiny army. "Stock up on extra ammo-specifically grenades. Throw in some smoke bombs, as well," she barks. "And keep those S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms on, we're going in and blending in, boys!" _On our way, Loki…_

 _"I knew I could count on you, Natalia."_

 _Reading my mind?_ Natasha frowns.

 _"You have quite a fascinating mind."_ His chuckle echoes in her head.

* * *

Loki paces around his bleak glass cell when he senses something in his peripheral vision. He stops and turns to discover he has a visitor that isn't Nick Fury. "Clinton Barton?" He's seen this man's face while taking a peek into Natasha's mind. She also had quite a mouthful to say in regards to the archer during their time in Germany.

"I was told Natasha was with you," he glowers, approaching the glass.

"She was," Loki slyly agrees.

"Where is she?"

His smirk widens as he contemplates how deep he wishes to sink his claws. "Certainly not with young Lila…"

Clint's hardened expression instantly cracks. He knows Natasha, and their trust for one another goes a long way. She isn't one to let something so vital to him slip in front of a stranger. "The hell'd you do to her?" Clint's harsh demeanor returns as the tips of his boots brush against the cell wall.

Loki saunters towards his guests with arms extended. "Let's say I've expanded her mind."

"Are you with the Red Room?" Clint presses.

"If I was, I would have claimed Natasha long before," he taunts.

This forces Clint to tighten his fists. "Tell me who you are, or I'll open up this cage and drive an arrow into your brain." At this point, Clint is ready to execute his threat whether Loki talks or not.

"Natasha is mine now," Loki states, drawing closer to the archer. "In every possible way." He wonders if the agent will catch on to his snide innuendo.

"Bastard," Clint breathes through clenched teeth.

"She is on her way, however, I doubt she will recognize you… Rather, she _will_ know you, only not as a friend."

"Then **fix** her!" Clint demands.

Loki chuckles. "She is quite useful. I have no intentions to give her up."

"Don't you dare…"

"In due time, you, too will be mine, Barton," Loki hints. "Every last one of you…"

Clint furrows his brows. "Thor said you knew magic. Is this some sort of trick? Mind control…"

"Think what you will," Loki advises. "I must warn you, it is only a matter of time until your world is mine." Loki pauses. "And when it is, I'll allow you the pleasure of visiting your home, your wife, your children…"

A lump forms in his throat.

"And then you will kill each and every one of them, beginning with the girl," Loki coolly lectures.

Clint beats his fist against the glass, but Loki fails to even flinch. "You're not getting out of this cage you sick bastard!" he seethes.

"I trust Natasha has made my freedom her number one priority." Loki turns away and struts over to his bench. "Tell me, Clinton." He takes a seat on the hard platform. "Are you prepared to send an arrow through Natasha's skull?"

Clint pales and carefully steps away from the cage.

"You've already failed to kill her once before… It seems that that particular sin of your past is about to return to haunt you…"

Clint frantically darts off in search of the Director.

* * *

"We're approaching the signal, ma'am!" the pilot shouts.

Natasha hurries to the front of the aircraft and takes the empty seat beside him.

"Sixty-two feet ahead."

"Open up the back hatch," she orders. "Shut it when I say to." Natasha heads towards the back, grabbing a grenade on the way. "Bring her close to an engine!" Natasha calls out as the back hatch opens up. "Everyone else, we're getting ready to land. Stay here and defend. Don't shoot until I make a call!"

A man buckled up to Natasha's left begins to speak. "I put in a call. Our ride's scheduled to land."

"When they see where this comes from…" Natasha holds up her grenade. "We're not going to be very welcome."

"Twenty-nine feet!" the pilot shouts.

Natasha hooks her harness up to a safety rail as the door opens with a deafening gust of wind. She spots one of the helicarrier's engines and throws her grenade. "Shut it!" she yells as an explosion jerks the jet to the side. The door begins to shut as thick clouds of smoke filter in. "You don't take off until I get back!" Natasha threatens. The aircraft comes to a steady landing and Natasha leaps out from a side door. As expected, a flock of agents are currently far too preoccupied with the blown engine to care about her jet landing.

 _"Something's happened,"_ Loki's voice mentions.

 _I'm here,_ Natasha promises. _Can you describe your surroundings_? She's studied the helicarrier's layout and knows every floor and every room.

 _"They have me locked in a glass cage above a trap door to the outside."_

 _I know where you are,_ Natasha answers as she charges into the ship's command room. Luckily, everyone in the room is too busy fretting over the blown engine to notice her. _Stay put!_ An alarm begins to blare and a voice follows.

"This is an emergency evac!" Natasha recognizes the voice as Maria Hill's. "All agents on the ground floor are to evacuate to a higher level. I repeat, ground floor is being compromised!"

 _That's you, Loki,_ she warns. _Someone's bound to come get you._

 _"Someone aside from you?"_

"Maybe Fury." She runs down a flight of stairs two at a time. Natasha avoids the agents flocking past her, along with their warnings about "the Hulk on the loose."

 _"I want this beast you told me of…"_ Loki casually mentions.

 _Have fun getting him to listen,_ she snorts.

 _"You dare doubt me?"_

Natasha hears an echoing roar in the distance. She's seen videos of the Hulk in action, so she knows just what that sound is. Her legs run faster in the opposite direction of the snarls. She knows she's screwed if the big guy corners her. Natasha hurries across a mesh bridge when a familiar voice stops her.

"Nat!"

Her dominant hand instinctively reaches for her gun, but Loki's orders are as quick as her reflexes.

 _"Don't shoot,"_ Loki commands. _"Play the victim-this will work to our advantage!"_

 _The victim…_

 _"I hurt you, Natalia,"_ Loki continues. _"Tell him how awful I was to you…"_

She brings her hand away from the gun and turns. "Clint…"

"Where the hell have you been?" Clint runs to her, an evident bruise along his right deltoid.

Natasha focuses on his injury. "Loki…"

"The bastard," he growls. "Where'd you even come from, Nat?"

"I…" She does as Loki says and puts on her best show. It's an easy task for her. "He sent me here… There's a jet with these agents he has under some kind of mind control…"

Clint grabs her arms and looks her straight in the eyes. "You're not under his control right now?" Loki made it sound as if she is, but the Natasha standing before him seems perfectly fine. Shaken, but fine.

"I was…" Natasha purses her lips and lets her bright green eyes meet his. "I can't remember anything after calling Lila. I don't even know what day it is… but…" she hesitates and Clint steps back to give her some room to breathe. "The last thing I remember is blacking out. Then I came to on a jet and I was ordered to bring Loki back." She gives Clint a worried look. "They said they'd take the whole carrier down if I didn't."

Clint swears under his breath. "An engine was blown. I think Stark's fixing it, but if another one goes…" He mimics her worried stare.

"Where's Loki?" she asks.

"No, Nat! We'll take the rogue bastards out. You and me."

"I think I counted twelve. And they were armed," she notes.

 _"Keep stalling,"_ Loki's voice orders.

Clint manages a smirk. "Scared, Romanoff?"

 _"Go to the jet. I will join you shortly."_

"Make sure you've got extra arrows," she notes before they make a run for the stairs.

She seems herself, and that lifts the weight in his chest. Knowing his partner was in the enemy's hands took a good twenty years off his life.

"Barton?"

"Yeah, Nat?"

She sprints up a flight of stairs with the archer in tow. "Once this mess is over, I promised Lila I'd visit this weekend. That okay?"

"Sorry, Nat, but it's already Saturday. Looks like it'll have to happen next weekend."

Natasha smiles. She has Clint playing right into her hand.

They reach the open-air level of the carrier to find Iron Man hovering over the failed turbine. The wind blows violently around them as they're descending. A number of agents are busy firing at the cause of the damage, a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft. None of Loki's agents on board are attacking. They remain inside the jet, taking all damage to come their way.

"Looks like they're beating us to it." Clint reaches for the bow strapped to the back, followed by an arrow equipped with an explosive tip.

"No explosives," she murmurs. "I spotted extra grenades on board. We can't afford a hit like that. They're doing this on purpose."

"A suicide mission?" he breathes in disbelief. "Wait-they're our guys," he adds, taking note of the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem painted on the jet.

"They're Loki's now," Natasha warns. "And I don't know how to snap them back…"

Clint scowls and turns to Fury's agents as more bullets are fired. "Hey!" he barks. His word is drowned out by another round of fire.

Natasha waits for the agents to replenish their ammo before she fires a shot into the air that grabs the attention of Fury's men."Let them go!" she shouts, hoping her order can be heard from inside the jet. "They've got explosives holed up in there-you're doing more harm than good!" she urges. "Make yourselves useful-there's a rampant Hulk and an engine down! We're capable of tracking that bird's every move. Someone have Hill monitor it!" As if on cue, the aircraft takes off and Fury's agents back away. "Jet twenty-four. It's got our men on board."

Clint chuckles as the underlings obey the Widow's commands. "Too bad they'll never know what a softie you can be."

She keeps up her stern attitude as she marches behind the agents with her partner. "Play time comes later, Barton."

"But play time for us is just beginning," Loki croons. He grabs Natasha's hips from behind and grins. Clint is quick to raise his bow, but Loki presses the tip of his dagger to Natasha's neck. "Shoot, and I strike her dead, archer," he hisses.

"Clint. Listen to him!" Natasha breathes as the blade's tip nicks her skin.

Loki sneers as Clint's nostrils flare. "We will meet again, agent." A green smoke envelops his body, and in a split second, he and Natasha vanish.

She finds that they're back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base peering into Selving's private workspace. "Why didn't you take Barton? He'd be useful to you."

"I have a plan, don't worry," Loki promises. "You put up quite the act back there, Natalia," he adds.

She raises a brow. "Did I have you fooled?"

Loki chuckles and shakes his head. "No."

"So what now?" she asks.

Loki pushes past a series of plastic flaps that act as a door into Selvig's room. "We wait for the portal to be completed."

"And until then?"

Erik turns and smiles at Loki. "Just about done, Sir!"

Loki brings his attention to Natasha. "Let's you and I enjoy ourselves, Natalia."


	5. Chapter 5

"The portal is finished," Loki announces. He crawls into the bed he conjured in his private bedroom.

Natasha props herself up on her elbows and lets the comforter fall past her breasts. "What's next?"

Loki inches towards her and lets his body protectively cover the redhead's. "The portal is to be set at the highest pinnacle your meager city has to offer."

"So Stark Tower?" Natasha snorts.

"That is closest to the sky, yes?" he hums, bringing his lips close to her chest.

"Stark lives by a 'go big or go home' lifestyle." Her fingers seize a fistful of the god's greasy locks. "I think he's compensating for something…" Loki takes her nipple into his mouth and she yanks at his scalp. "Let's get this portal opened up first," she suggests. Natasha isn't sure how much time has passed since returning from the Helicarrier, but judging from the soreness lingering in her legs and arms, it hasn't been long. Her body can still feel Loki's length at the apex of her thighs and the smell of sex and sweat lingers on her body.

"That means our next union will be as King and Queen," he hums, kissing her neck.

Natasha wraps her arms around his neck. "Is fucking a King any more exciting?" She winks when their eyes lock.

"I have tricks you have yet to see, my Natalia," he promises.

"Oh, yeah?" Her legs instinctively spread to accompany Loki's hips.

"You will be very happy as my Queen." He grins as her bright blue eyes mesmerize him. "My lovely Queen."

"Do I get a crown?" she smirks.

Loki gives her a quick kiss. "If you desire one…"

"I don't," she hums.

He teasingly nips at her earlobe.

"Loki…" She runs her fingers through his messy hair. "Business first. Sex later."

He pulls away from her with a boyish grin. "For a woman under my control, you are certainly bossy!"

"Gotta keep you in line," she replies with a smirk.

Loki brings a uniformed Natasha and Erik around the portal's generator. The machine stands two heads taller than Loki and is built with bronze and silver gears that lead him to wonder how every cog works. "Are you ready?" he asks Selvig.

Erik balances a laptop over the Tesseract's case. "Moving this will take some effort, but-"

"I will have us to our destination in no time at all." He offers a hand to Natasha. "Show me where this Stark Tower is."

Natasha takes his hand and envisions the familiar building for him.

"Stand close," Loki warns Erik as he grasps his scepter. The blue gem begins to glow and Erik feels the Tesseract's case rumble in his arms. Loki whisks the group away without ever lifting a finger.

"It's only a matter of time before Stark shows up," Natasha cautions when she feels sand and pebbles beneath her boots.

A strong wind tousles Erik's hair and he blinks rapidly when he finds the New York skyline splayed before him.

"I'll sneak in and kick start the power," Natasha announces.

"There's no need." Erik sets the steel briefcase and laptop against the uneven ground. "The Tesseract alone can power this entire city."

Natasha raises a brow in interest.

"Leave this to me," Erik promises as he opens the case.

Natasha finds a set of large steel tongs resting on the device's shelf. She hands them to the professor before returning her attention to Loki. "Stark has a super computer running this place. We're likely to have company within the next few minutes."

Loki confidently struts over to the building's edge and admires his city. "I will handle anyone foolish enough to challenge me."

"How about we wait inside?" Natasha suggests. "I know the code."

Loki takes one last look at the bright blue sky before following the assassin to a door.

JARVIS' synthesized voice greets them upon entering. "Ms. Romanoff, I have informed Mr. Stark of your arrival."

Natasha ignores the program, but Loki glances around, curious to the voice's source.

"Is this your home?" Loki wonders.

"Tony Stark's," she answers. "Iron Man. This is all his. His…kingdom…" She approaches an elevator and orders JARVIS to take them down to the lounge. "I take it this place is no Asgard."

Loki steps into the elevator with her and crosses his arms behind his back. "No, it is not."

"Will you ever take me there?"

He smirks in her direction. "Only when I have complete power. That is when the All-Father will meet his match, and Thor will follow."

"What did they do to hurt you?" she softly wonders.

Loki stares at the set of steel doors. "That need not concern you."

Natasha no longer feels compelled to know, so she remains quiet until the twin doors ease open. "You want a drink?" she offers as she saunters towards the bar.

He ignores her, eyes fixated to a wall of towering glass panels. "This place is ideal." The windows allow for him to gaze out at the farthest reaches of the city. Seeing the miniscule buildings and homes below makes him feel like the mighty god he truly is. "I am reminded of my former home," he comments.

Natasha helps herself to a shot of whiskey before joining Loki's side. She spots a hint of bright red in the sky and she knows what's coming. "You want me to kill him?"

Loki spots a red and gold blur flying closer in their direction. "No. Let us have a nice little chat." _"And remember that you are acting as his friend."_

Natasha wanders over to a leather sofa and has a seat. She keeps a close eye on Loki as he finds the door to the outside.

Tony looms above the trickster's head before he flies towards a platform where his machines dismantle his suit piece by piece. He enters the lounge and makes the bar his first pit stop. As he walks, he spies Natasha and furrows his brows.

"Watch your back, Stark," she mouths, shifting her eyes in Loki's direction.

Tony pours himself a drink and gulps down the burning liquid before approaching the trickster. "Not many people who can contain Romanoff," he quips. "What've you got on her?"

"A threat," Loki grins. "Given she fails to properly serve me, I kill each and every one of you."

Tony raises a brow in Natasha's direction. "Didn't know you cared about me that much."

Natasha shoots him a glare. "He'll kill everyone in the city," she deadpans.

Tony returns his attention to Loki. "So that's the big game plan?"

"Well." Loki passes his scepter from his left to right hand. "I require a bit of help…"

"Is it the thing on my roof?" Tony delves. "The energy readings on that thing are off the charts. Same for your magical glow stick. Which in safer with _me_ by the way."

Loki struts closer to the billionaire, raising his scepter as they stand toe-to-toe. "Would you care to have it back?" he evenly questions.

Tony makes no grab for the scepter. He stands still, hands behind his back as he toys with a silver bracelet.

Natasha senses that they're both scheming. It all comes down to who makes the first move…

"I've been told you have quite a brilliant mind," Loki muses.

"Best and brightest," Tony modestly replies.

"You will make a fine addition…"

Tony activates a sensor hidden in his bracelet.

"To my army." Loki proudly taps the pointed tip of his scepter against the inventor's chest. The azure gem gives off an eerie glow. Loki gazes into Tony's eyes, a deep brown. His brows furrow and he brings the gem closer to Tony's chest.

Tony glances down with an unsure expression. "I'm sorry-was something supposed to happen?"

Loki frowns and grabs Tony's neck. "You _will_ be mine!" he hisses.

"J-Jarv!" Tony gasps.

Natasha leaps off of the couch and runs towards the two men.

Loki throws Tony down and shoves the butt of his staff into his gut.

 _"Loki, behind you!"_ Natasha mentally shouts.

The god whips his head around at the sound of Natasha's voice and discovers a large red pod charging at his head. He quickly dodges as the pod expands into an iron skeleton that shields Tony's body. Shining red gloves adhere to Tony's hands while boots form to encase his feet. Loki is impressed by the spectacle and he allows Tony's iron suit to fully conceal his body before sending a blast of blue energy at the metal man.

Tony takes the hit without expecting much, but the blow temporarily short circuits his system. "That's how you wanna play?" He fires an attack of his own at Loki that sends him stumbling backwards into Natasha. "Sorry Romanoff," Tony's synthesized voice mutters before he flies out the door he came in. The high energy readings on his rooftop scream for his attention. And he knows Natasha can hold her own against the god. Tony launches into the sky, but an intense white light coming from the machine on his rooftop brings him to a halt. The directed blast shoots up past the cloud and the pleasant afternoon sky finds itself shattered as a black void licks away at the cheery blue. "Son of a bitch…" Tony mutters.

Natasha groans beneath a crushing weight. Her head is pounding as she lifts it from the concrete floor. "Shit…"

Loki rises to his feet, disgusted that a mortal brought him to his knees. He knows how to remedy that. "Continue to act as their accomplice, Natalia," he warns the redhead. "Leave the Iron Man to me…"

Natasha watches as he walks away. The fog clouding her mind has finally lifted. She's fully aware now, but she wonders if Loki can sense it. "You bastard," she scowls. Her fingers forma tight fist as she watches the god from past a wall of glass.

She knows she's been used, both physically and emotionally.

And now she wants revenge.


	6. Chapter 6

Natasha runs after Loki, but he's vanished by the time she gets outside.

Iron Man lowers onto the ground beside her, eyes still fixed on the growing black void in the sky. "Did he tell you anything about that?"

She glances up at Tony's helmet and finds his gaze directed towards the clouds. Natasha's brows furrow when she finally acknowledges the jet black abyss occupying a good chunk of the sky. "No…"

Tony's sensors detect movement and moments later, a flock of grey specks come into view. "Looks like we've got company…" He shoots upward, abandoning the Widow to get a better glimpse of what's creeping from the unknown. "Jarvis?"

The program requires a second to respond. "Sensors indicate an inhuman life form. Skeletal structures are of an unknown race. Cold-blooded-"

An alien creature opens its mouth to reveal jagged yellow fangs. Tony shoots it, sending it flying off its chariot, but more extra terrestrials are quick to react. More than a dozen charge at the iron suit, but what they don't see coming are the multiple missiles that Tony launches from his shoulders.

Natasha busies herself with searching for Loki, but he seems to be long gone from Stark Tower. A blast shocks the ground near her feet and Natasha is quick to react. A creature riding a flying chariot speeds closer towards her. It fires a blast of blue light, but Natasha dodges with a swift roll. She brings her gaze up to the sky where the portal continues to expand. The Black Widow hurries back inside and runs for the rooftop. She finds Erik standing proudly before his invention, his eyes glued to the void. "Shut this thing off!" she orders.

He turns to Natasha with glassy blue eyes. "There's no stopping it," he beams.

She scowls and smacks his cheek, adding enough force to slam the older man's head against a steel beam supporting his invention. He faints and drops to the ground, but Natasha's certain that when he comes to, all of the Loki influence will be knocked out of him. She circles the machine, searching for any kind of switch, but the Tesseract appears to be the only power source, and touching it with her bare hands is likely to kill her.

Iron Man lands at her side and gingerly nudges her away. "This'll burn through my suit," he warns, scanning the energy levels on his personal monitor. "Can't touch it… We can't close that portal…"

Natasha pauses and immediately recalls Loki's mind control. If his scepter can give someone like her a change of heart, not to mention hop between worlds, it must be strong enough to close the portal. "I have an idea."

"The scepter?" Stark inquires. He notes the knowing look in her eyes. "Banner and I scanned the thing earlier. Its energy levels should be enough to stop this thing."

"Great minds think alike," she hums. "Leave the scepter to me."

"You sure?" He spots an alien in his peripheral vision and blasts it off its chariot.

"You're better off fighting these guys," Natasha acknowledges. She scans the city below her, curious as to where a god could run off to. "Hey, Stark!" she shouts. "Got a current reading on that scepter?"

Tony obliterates another three creatures before he can respond. "Grab an earpiece from the lab. I'll have Jarvis guide you!"

Natasha dashes back inside and takes the elevator down to the lab. Before searching for an in-ear receiver, she grabs Tony's phone and gives Fury a call. "I'm back," she begins the second her boss picks up. "Currently at Stark's."

Nick breathes a sigh of relief. "Where's Loki?"

"Gone," she replies. "Jarvis, where're the ear pieces?"

"Inside the desk to your right, second drawer," the program answers.

Nick grows hesitant. "You're no longer under his control?"

"I snapped out of it." She opens the drawer and grabs one of several earpieces. "He thinks I'm on his side, so I'm using that to my advantage."

"Where did he take you?"

"A S.H.I.E.L.D. base in New Mexico. I'll explain later." She activates the communication device and clips it to her right ear. "Right now, you might wanna look outside."

"I'm already aware," Nick irately mentions. "Already have Rogers and Barton on the move. Thor's aiding, as well… Did Loki bother to mention what the hell's flying through the city?"

"No clue," she answers. "You'll have to excuse me, Nick. I've got a god to find."

He hesitates. "Shouldn't Thor go after him? God versus god, brother against brother?"

Natasha snorts. "The bastard messed with my head. I think I deserve to give him hell."

"Be careful, Romanoff," Fury warns.

She ends the call and sets the phone on Tony's desk. "Always am," she murmurs.

* * *

A yellow mist encircles the god as golden armor forms around his shoulders and head. He admires the view of his city from a rooftop. His army is bringing destruction and complete chaos. People are screaming, cars are being flipped and causing explosions, and buildings are being reduced to rubble as the Chitauri army Thanos bequeathed him with wreaks havoc. The god looks to the sky and wonders if Thanos is watching. A sudden rumble of thunder forces Loki to tighten his grip around his staff which now stands at his height. The golden haze lifts once a horned helmet protects his head and an emerald cape cascades down his back.

"Loki!" Thor's voice booms.

The trickster narrows his eyes as Thor's feet smack the ground behind him.

"Turn off the Tesseract, or I'll destroy it!"

"There is no stopping it," Loki warns, pointing a blade towards the blond god. "There is only the war."

"So be it," Thor breathes as he takes on a fighting stance.

Loki charges towards him, sending a blinding blast at Thor, but he is quick to react and dodges the attack.

* * *

"I have located an energy signature three blocks away," Jarvis announces once Natasha is out of Stark Tower.

"Three blocks," she repeats. An alien soldier zooms across the street, shooting a car that causes it to burst into flames. Screams are heard in all directions and the air reeks of smoke. Natasha readies her gun before sprinting to a nearby car. The door is wide open and the engine is still running. Natasha knows she's taking a risk by becoming a moving target, but stopping Loki is worth it. The streets are all clear of any civilians, but the debris and scattered cars on the road make it difficult to navigate. Natasha drives up onto the sidewalk and punches the gas. "Keep giving directions!" she shouts at Jarvis. Natasha keeps one hand on the wheel and the other out the window to shoot at an incoming alien. She hits it in the eye, causing it to topple backwards. The car speeds up when she realizes that she can't rely on shooting. She'll be out of ammo soon, so the Widow chooses to save her remaining bullets until they're absolutely necessary.

"You are coming up on the building," JARVIS advises. "The third one on this street. I detect a strong presence on the rooftop."

Natasha stomps on the brakes when she's stationed in front of the building. She escapes the car and runs inside to find a mob of people taking cover. They stare in fear over the gun in her hand, but she ignores them and runs for the nearest elevator. The up button refuses to light up at her touch and a quick scan of the dark ceiling tells her the power was knocked out. She settles for the stairs, expertly taking two steps at a time. Thunder rumbles overhead, further confusing the assassin. Aside from a gaping hole in the sky, there were no storm clouds in sight. Her sides begin to ache as she continues to run, but she ignores it, even when her lungs feel ready to burst.

"Romanoff?" Tony's voice resonates within her earpiece.

She allows herself to stop and catch her breath. "Stark."

"Just blew past Loki. He's going up against Thor. Couldn't tell who was winning."

"I'm close to him," she breathes. "Scepter first, talking later." She deactivates her comm unit and continues up another daunting set of stairs.

"Is this what Mother wants?!" Thor snarls, striking Loki's helmet with his hammer.

"She's not my Mother!" Loki spits, head pounding from the blow.

Thor swings his hammer a second time, but Loki's staff blocks the attack. "You were raised as her son. You **are** her son, Loki!"

The trickster inches closer towards Thor while he attempts to keep Mjolnir away using his staff. "Sentiment won't stop me!" he hisses.

Thor cries out as a sharp pain stings his side. He backs away from Loki and tugs at a dagger lodged into his side. "Who…Who made you into this?" Thor demands, tossing the blood-stained blade aside. "My brother is not like this!"

Loki brings the pointed staff close to Thor's neck. "I have brought this upon myself."

"That is a lie!" Thor shouts.

"And you are a fool for believing it." He swings his staff at the blond's neck, but he ducks.

"Don't do this, Loki!" Thor lunges at his brother, sending them both toppling to the hard ground.

Natasha throws open the door and finds Thor putting Loki in a chokehold. Acting fast, she fires a bullet at Thor's hand. She can play it off as bad shooting later. For now, she needs Loki to believe that she's still his puppet.

The thunder god retracts his hand as blood seeps from his stinging wound.

Loki smirks, pleased that the redhead has come through for him. He smacks Thor across the side of his head before crawling out from beneath him. "So you've found me, Natalia…"

"I had some help finding you." She casually approaches him, setting her gun into its holster. Her eyes shift to Thor as he rises to his feet. "These things are destroying your city," she dryly comments. "How about getting rid of them?"

"And allow these peasants to live?" He reaches out to stroke Natasha's cheek.

"Think of them as servants."

Loki hums, planting his staff into the gravel.

Natasha smiles and presents him with a kiss. Her hand reaches for the staff as Thor's steps creep closer. "Bet you can't kill him with your bare hands," she taunts.

He sneers and loosens his grip over the elongated scepter.

Natasha brings the staff close to her as Loki turns to the thunder god.

"I won't kill him now," Loki states.

Thor lowers his hammer.

"His death comes last," Loki finishes.

"Loki…" Thor breathes.

Natasha re-activates her earpiece. "Stark?" she whispers. "Follow the readings ASAP."

Loki turns and flashes Natasha a curious stare. "Natalia?"

She manages to keep a stoic expression plastered onto her face. "I've set Stark up with a distraction," she confirms. "To keep him at bay."

He senses doubt behind her words, but an attack from Thor forces Loki to focus on fighting.

Natasha stares up at the sky and past a herd of alien chariots is a hint of red from Tony's suit. She backs away from the brawling gods as Tony flies closer, closer… She throws the staff into the air, forcing Loki to whip his head around with a snarl.

Iron Man grabs the mystical scepter and zooms off before Loki can even register what's happening. The trickster shoots Natasha a nasty glare. "What have you done?!"

"No offense, Loki," Natasha drawls, "but New York isn't yours to rule."

"Filthy bitch!" he seethes.

Thor grabs his brother by the neck and pulls him against his chest. "Enough games, Loki!" he warns.

Loki struggles against Thor's thick arms while Natasha watches with a smirk. "I will rule this realm!" the trickster vows between clenched teeth.

Natasha's ready to make a clever remark, but the trickster vanishes before her eyes. Her fists clench and a swear passes her lips. "Stark, watch your back!" Natasha warns. "Loki's after you…"


	7. Chapter 7

"I am detecting high energy forces approaching," JARVIS warns.

Tony scowls. He's seconds from his home when he spots Loki giving him a cold glare. Tony freezes in midair, currently more fixated on the god's ridiculous horned helmet. "You can have your toy back when this mess is over," he wagers.

"We both know that to be a lie, Anthony," Loki warns in a crisp tone. "Relinquish the scepter or I will use force…"

Iron Man outstretches an arm and sends a blast at Loki's head. The golden helmet is knocked off his head, further angering the trickster.

"You are a brave fool!" Loki sneers.

"Mr. Stark!" JARVIS advises.

Tony whirls around in midair to fire a round of missiles at a group of incoming aliens.

With the metal man distracted, Loki extends his arm and beckons his scepter. He hears Tony swear as the staff is yanked from his grip and flies towards its master like metal to a magnet.

"Loki!" Thor's shout echoes as distant thunder rumbles. The god soars through the sky with Natasha's arms latched around his neck. "Drop it, Loki! It is poison to your mind!" He roughly lands on the rooftop and Natasha gracefully hops down.

As much as Loki wants to deal with his redheaded traitor, Thor's nagging comes first. "This is not the reason for my change of heart," he states. " **You** _,_ dear _brother,_ are the reason for that!" he spitefully growls. "You and Odin! Traitors!" he snarls.

Natasha stands her ground, her stinger bracelets humming as she confronts the trickster. "Why the aliens?" she prods. "You want to fight us, then fight us without your buddies."

Loki points his blade in her direction. " **Don't** speak to me," he crisply warns. "You, too, are a traitor."

"I'd apologise, but I don't recall you asking permission before making me your toy." Natasha wrinkles her nose as Loki shoots her a scornful glare.

A shadow looms over the group that ceases their feud long enough to make them look up. A snake-like creature soars over head, its body as long and thick as a skyscraper.

"Yeahhh," Tony drones. "If that's on your team, I'm calling foul play…"

"What the hell are these?" Natasha breathes.

Thor utters a hushed "Jormungandr?"

The creature is dark grey with a skeletal appearance. Lights flash from its sides and more aliens emerge. Some dig their nails into the sides of buildings and begin to noisily scale downwards while others mercilessly crash through windows, terrorizing those seeking shelter. A trio of the foreign creatures land on Tony's rooftop and creep towards the Avengers.

Tony flies into one's chest, knocking it off the roof and sending it plummeting to the ground. Natasha willingly gets close to one and finds that despite the tough, grey flesh, it's susceptible to her stinger's electricity. The third creature leaps away from Thor's swinging hammer and charges at Loki. It hisses, baring a set of jagged yellow fangs.

Loki wrinkles his nose as he's forced to fight it off with his scepter. "You dare attack me!?"

Amused, Natasha smirks at the god. "What, these guys aren't on your side?"

A blue ray of light obliterates the beast to dust. "This isn't right," Loki mutters.

Thor stomps towards his brother and seizes his neck. "Loki, what's happening?!"

Loki watches the sky as more of Thanos' minions emerge. This isn't what he was promised. He was promised Midgard-he was promised to be King! A searing pain in his skull forces Loki to clench his jaw.

"Loki!"

Thor's voice resonates in Loki's head as darkness surrounds him.

 _"Loki…" The voice now belongs to a cloaked figure hidden between crevices of jagged rocks._

 _The trickster steps forward in his dark surroundings. "I demand to speak with Thanos!"_

 _"He has no desire to speak with a traitor!"A voice hisses._

 _Loki gravitates towards the echoing voice. "I am doing his bidding!"_

 _The figure appears before the god and flashes his reddened fangs. "He sees your intentions,_ boy, _and he_ knows! _" Loki's face is void of emotion as the hooded figure circles him. "He knows you intend to keep what he seeks…"_

 _The god nods. "I've grown fond of the scepter bequeathed to me."_

 _"Not that!" the figure sneers. "The stones… All of them."_

 _"I only require the stones to give to your master."_

 _"You_ _ **lie**_ _!"_

 _Loki furrows his brows. "He lied to me," he notes. "Thanos promised me an army, yet the army given to me sees me as their enemy…"_

 _"You've failed to give him the stones…"_

 _Loki clenches his fists. "The remaining stones are on Asgard. I plan to travel there once Midgard is conquered."_

 _"Lies…" the creature seethes._

 _"I would much rather speak with Thanos… I have a new bargain for him."_

 _The cloaked figure stands before Loki to bare his teeth. "Tell me…"_

 _Unable to see the figure's eyes beneath the fabric covering most of its face, Loki blankly stares at its open mouth. "I will give him the stones." He raises a finger. "In return, all I ask is that he murders the King and heir to Asgard's throne."_

 _"And Midgard? What of your desire for it?"_

 _"I will gladly forfeit it in exchange for Asgard," Loki promises._

 _The hooded figure falls quiet for a moment. "We will see what Thanos makes of this bargain…"_

Loki's eyes flicker as he comes to. His breathing is ragged while Thor's hands grip his arms.

"Loki?" the thunder god questions, a puzzled look in his eyes.

His breaths slow and he feels the weight of the scepter in his hands. "Take it," he breathes.

A smile forms across Thor's lips as Loki relinquishes the scepter.

Natasha finishes shooting an alien before turning to Loki. "Giving up?"

Wild-eyed, the trickster nods.

Natasha turns to Thor with a glare. "This could be a trap…"

"Have care when speaking to my brother!" he warns.

She glances between the two gods. Her gut tells her something isn't right, and she always trusts her instincts. She reaches out to take the scepter from Thor. "Restrain him," she orders. "Leave the portal to me."

Thor frowns, but he obeys the command in time to find his brother running off. "Loki!"

Natasha dashes over to the portal device and looks to Selvig for any advice. He looks just as lost as she does, so she raises the scepter in hopes that winging it will work. Natasha struggles against an invisible barricade, but the gem latched to Loki's weapon breaks through with ease. The Tesseract reacts to the newfound energy source and erupts with a blinding light. Natasha and Selvig are shoved backwards as smoke billows from Selvig's contraption. She rolls onto her side and looks up to discover that the Tesseract's blue light has faded.

"Guy's, heads up!" Iron Man shouts.

Natasha braces herself, eyes on the sky as the alien creatures lifelessly freefall from their chariots. The wormhole in the sky closes in on itself until not a single trace of a discrepancy is left.

As Loki watches Thanos' army plummet to the earth, his eyes search for any signs of the titan Thanos.

"Is it over?" Thor wonders. He loosens his grip around Loki's arms.

"I suppose," Loki muses. "Except for one thing…"

Thor's eyes meet with his brother's.

"Bring me to Odin. Let him send me to my exile." Loki forces a small grin.

"Father would never do that," Thor coldly informs, forcing Loki to laugh.

"After what I've done…" Loki observes as a fire scorches a nearby building. "He will have me locked up for the rest of my years to come…" Unless Thanos fulfills his bargain.

Natasha hears a muffled roar fill the air. It's a sound she's heard before in videos, a voice belonging to none other than the Hulk. She activates her ear piece and searches for a signal from Clint.

"They all dropped dead." It's Captain America's voice.

"We deactivated the power source," Natasha informs. "Must've shut 'em all down…"

"Nat?" Clint's voice interferes. "That you?"

"One hundred percent," she promises, shooting Loki a glare.

"So what now?" the archer wonders.

"I could go for a drink," Tony chimes in.

"I say we get the citizens to safety," Steve corrects.

"Maybe get Banner down to size?" Clint warily replies.

"He can manage on his own," Tony promises.

Natasha shuts off her ear piece before she approaches the gods. "The city's a wreck, you know," she matter-of-factly warns Loki. "It's high time you put your magic to good use."

Iron Man touches down at her side. His helmet folds back to reveal Tony's unscathed head. "First aliens, now magic. These people are gonna be hard to impress in the future."

Thor tightens his grip around Loki's arm. "Loki will oblige." He turns to his raven haired brother. "Mother and Father will be pleased to know you've done some good," he sternly adds.

Loki fidgets with his fingers. "That will require a great deal of magic…" His eyes rest on the scepter in Natasha's hands.

"Oh, no," she growls. "Not a chance in hell."

He smirks.

"Tell me how this thing works and I'll give your attitude a one-eighty," she sneers.

Thor glances from his brother to the woman. "I will restrain him until he finishes his good deeds." He kneels down and slips Mjolnir's handle around Loki's ankle.

Natasha furrows her brows, wondering if this is a joke, but Loki is clearly unhappy. She notices his foot struggling to move, but he's stuck in place, bound where he stands by a measly hammer.

"How much?" Tony wonders. "Two hundred? Three hundred?" He overhears Thor chuckling as his boot kicks the hammer, but it fails to budge a single inch. Curious, Tony gives it a stronger kick, but nothing happens.

Now it's Natasha's turn to be curious. "Problem, Stark?"

Thor widely grins. "Mjolnir can only be wielded by the worthy of heart!"

"Not magic?" Natasha assumes.

Tony gives Mjolnir another failed kick. "Whatever gets things cleaned up around here," he mutters.

Natasha leaves to go in search of Clint. She isn't surprised when she finds him barking out orders to the paramedics on scene to tend to children first. "You holding up, Barton?" she calls out.

He looks over to his partner. His face is smeared with dirt and his left shoulder has a nasty cut painting his arm red. "I'll feel better once this hell's over."

"Yeah?" She watches as a paramedic wraps a little girl's arm in gauze. "Well, we've got a rapid clean-up coming."

"The hell's that mean?" Clint frowns.

"Think of it as Loki's apology."

"'Apology?'" he scoffs. "I don't even wanna know what the death toll is. And you know that asshole killed Phil? Like hell I'm taking clean-up as an 'I'm sorry!'"

"Phil?" Natasha blinks.

Clint bows his head and nods. "Got him just before he disappeared with you."

Natasha exhales a frustrated sigh. "He'll get what's coming to him," she promises. "I heard him telling Thor their dad's gonna exile him."

"As if that's enough."

She begins examining her partner's injured arm. "Let's get you patched up. Now also might be a good time to call Laura."

* * *

"Well?" Thor questions. "Fix this mess, Loki."

He eyes the scepter in his hands, then stares out to the horizon. The gem's energy will only help his magic so much before he is completely drained from exhaustion. "There is a much simpler way," Loki begins.

" _Loki_ ," Thor scolds.

"I mean it," he swears, looking Thor in the eyes. "Tell me, do you remember the stories Odin told us about the Infinity stones?"

"Their powers are unmatched," Thor nods. "And dangerous if in the wrong hands…" His eyes fall to the scepter. "Father scattered them. Are these…"

"Yes," Loki confirms. He offers Thor the scepter. "This, along with the Tesseract. I say we take them home, have Odin lock me away, and have him use the Time stone to reverse the damage."

"A wise plan," Thor hums. "However, I suggest we leave the scepter here." Loki's brows furrow in confusion. "These stones should be kept far, far away from one another," Thor continues. "Heimdall will keep an eye out for each and every one."

"Look at you," Loki drones, "thinking like a King."

"We will leave after I thank Midgard's warriors," Thor decides.

Loki has no choice but to be dragged along by Thor. The thunder god's whims don't prove to be a complete waste of time. Before they make the journey back, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner create a special housing for the Tesseract, along with a set of shackles to bind Loki's wrists and ankles. They also create a muzzle, and Loki swears that he will smite them both once he is Asgard's king. He spots Natasha nearby just before he is muzzled and makes a final request to have a word with the woman.

"You think I'm accepting an apology from you?" Natasha sneers.

"Admit that you enjoyed yourself in my company," he slyly grins.

"Fuck you."

He chuckles, admiring her spirit. "You will not forget me."

Natasha shoots him a glare. "You're number one on my hit list, so never show your face here," she warns, arms folded across her chest.

"Our paths will cross again if the fates allow it," Loki taunts.

"The fates must want you dead, then."

"Your words burn me, Natalia," he croons.

She turns her head to the left. The trickster's smug grin is striking her last nerve. "I think it's high time you go back."

"You're certain you don't wish to become my queen?" His question goes unanswered, but he knows that once he is made King, she will come to him, willing or not.

Natasha gives Loki one last glare as the Tesseract is activated. His eyes lock onto hers and even beneath the muzzle covering his lips, she can tell he's smirking-she can see it in his eyes. The two gods vanish in an azure flame and Natasha feels a weight in her gut. He's scheming. Whether it pertains to her home in the city or his home on Asgard, she knows that only time will reveal that answer.


	8. Chapter 8

_"Natalia," Loki purrs against her neck._

 _She spreads her legs to accompany his narrow hips. "Enough talk," Natasha groans. She feels his member pressed between their bodies and her back arches._

 _"How badly do you want me to_ _ **fuck**_ _you?" he hisses into her ear._

 _She moans and grinds against him for friction against her clit._

 _"Natalia…"_

 _"Shut up and fuck me." Her fingers grab fistfuls of his dark waves._

 _Loki sneers and further teases her by kissing her neck._

 _"Loki…" Her ankles lock around his hips and she struggles to force his weight onto her._

 _"How badly?" Loki croons._

 _She desperately bucks her hips, loving the feel of his length against her slickness. "Badly." She bites down on her lip as he begins to chuckle._

Natasha's eyes flutter open and she becomes aware of her own hand between her legs. The frustration nagging her isn't even close to being outweighed by the fact that the asshole god of mischief was about to give it to her. Natasha groans as she sits up in the Barton family's guest bed. She's finally fulfilling a promise to Lila this weekend and she can't have Loki thoughts ruin her time off. Natasha leaves the bed and grabs a change of clothes before padding off into the bathroom. The most unsettling fact is that it's been four days since Loki left and he's been in her dreams every night like clockwork. As she runs a cold shower, she wonders if it's him messing with her from worlds away. She thought all the Loki was knocked out of her, but apparently he's still there. The only other explanation her brain comes to is that she seriously needs to get laid. That usually helps when she's frustrated. She makes a mental note to call Matt later to see if he's free during the week.

"Auntie Nat, is New York fixed yet?" Lila wonders over breakfast.

Natasha sips her orange juice and shakes her head. "The bad guy from Asgard isn't keeping his promise very well."

Cooper giggles and whispers " _Ass_ gard," to which his father lightly smacks him over the head with the morning paper.

"Thor should come through," Clint mentions. "If he doesn't, he better not show his face around here."

"Thor?" Laura stabs a mouthful of pancakes with her fork. "That's tall, blond, and handsome, right?"

Clint throws his wife a concerned look.

"Yeah. The Avengers aren't a bad looking team if you ask me," Natasha comments. "Except for that archer."

"You're pushing it, Romanoff," Clint sneers with a smirk.

* * *

Once back home at her own apartment, Natasha finds that her streak of Loki dreams goes unbroken. She goes to bed exhausted with thoughts of work, but wakes up with an unbearable frustration that forces her to break out her vibrator for an early morning session. A week passes and Matt's still away on business, and her toys aren't cutting it for her any longer. This puts Natasha even more on edge than usual, but she focuses herself on the day's tasks. Today, she has a meeting scheduled with the Avengers, sans Thor.

"So Thor's held up his end of the bargain," Bruce notes as he gazes out a bay window. The city below him has been completely restored, making the alien invasion feel like an awful nightmare.

"If only the lives could've been saved," Steve breathes with a scowl.

"At least we've got an ally on another planet," Clint chimes in. "Could be useful."

Tony nods. "Especially now that we know there are others."

"More Lokis?" Bruce inquires with a chuckle.

"Exactly," Tony replies. "More threats, more reasons to call on us."

"The public opinion on the Avengers is divided," Steve informs. "For every supporter, there's at least one person against us."

Natasha folds her arms across her chest as she stands close to the bar. "I don't see that changing. Granted more aliens show up, there'll be more damage. More damage means more reason to hate us."

"But it's not just about the damages," Clint interrupts. "People died. _Lives_ are our main priority. People gotta understand that."

Bruce uncomfortably shifts at his place by the window. "I feel that I'm the biggest threat here…The other guy, I mean…"

Tony pours his third drink and swigs it down in one gulp. "This has been heavy guys. Heavy stuff. Let's call it a day."

"These are the issues, Stark!" Steve snaps, pointing an accusatory finger at the inventor. "Why the hell do you think we're having this meeting?!"

Natasha rolls her eyes. She definitely wasn't in the mood for dealing with a childish fight.

"Maybe we _should_ call it a day," Bruce warily suggests.

Natasha finds herself eying Stark as he pours himself another drink. She knows he's slowly losing his right mind, and her own sexually frustrated brain fixates on her own needs. The fact that she's contemplating a quick fuck with Tony screams her desperation, but she knows he's made plenty of women satisfied. Natasha gives him an intense glare as she finalizes her decision and hopes that a round of good fucking will cease the Loki dreams.

"A day! Yes!" Tony agrees. "Who wants a drink?"

"I'll take one," Natasha replies. She notices Steve throw Tony a dirty glare before he storms off.

Clint is the next to decline. "I'll see you guys later. Fury's got me on an assignment."

Tony pours Natasha a shot of whiskey which she eagerly gulps down. "Banner, you in for this party?" he offers.

Bruce shyly shakes his head. "No thanks. I think I should get going, too."

"You sure you don't wanna play around in the lab?"

"Not today, but thank you."

Bruce leaves and Natasha snorts with laughter.

Tony side eyes the Widow as she pours herself another drink. "No private jokes in here, Romanoff."

She swigs down the burning liquid and flashes Tony a smirk. "You and Banner getting frisky in the lab?"

"Jealous?" Tony counters.

Natasha hums and slams her glass against the counter. "I bet I can show you a better time."

He raises a brow, his wide eyes brimming with shock and curiosity. "Two shots and you're already gone?"

Natasha ignores the remark. "You and Pep aren't serious, are you?"

"Afraid to be a homewrecker?" He pours himself yet another drink.

She feels no shame in her current level of desperation. "You got condoms?"

"We doing this in the lab?"

"If that'll get you going…"

Tony throws his head back to down his drink. "Let's go!" he announces, slamming his glass down.

She does her best to ignore his reeking stench of alcohol, but it's difficult when he insists on keeping his mouth pressed against hers. When he's not kissing, he's biting her neck while fumbling with his jeans. Natasha undresses while he shields his erection with a condom. She eyes his crotch and notes that Loki's is bigger. A growl rises from her throat. She's doing this to _forget_ Loki.

"What's your problem?" Tony sneers.

"Nothing." She spreads her legs on his workbench and that quickly shuts him up. "Pepper hears none of this. **No one** will know," she icily warns.

Tony boredly hums as he positions himself between her legs. "You're into me." He sloppily kisses her neck. "I get that."

Natasha wraps her arms around his neck. "Be rough or I'm riding you on the floor."

He slips a finger into her slick folds. "Sexy."

To Natasha's surprise, Tony's better than anticipated. Then again, the man's had plenty of experience. He's quick to find her G-spot, and that sends her into a fit of moans. She grabs a fistful of his hair with one hand and claws at his back with the other.

He bucks into her at a quick pace, skillfully rubbing her clit in the process. "Fuck!" he hisses.

"You're not so bad, either," she breathlessly admits. What he doesn't need to know is that she's thinking of Loki. His sly smirk, the glint in his eyes. " _Oh!_ " Her orgasm catches up to her and she begs for Tony to go faster. He circles his hips while bringing his mouth to her breast. Natasha clenches around him, evoking a stream of swears. "Fuck, Stark, I'm close!" He bottoms out and begins grinding against her clit. Natasha throws her head back as the heat in her belly flares. " _Fuck!_ " His hips repeatedly slam into hers until her legs begin to shake and her breathing grows ragged.

"Pegged you for a screamer," Tony smirks.

"Pegged you to be a hell of a lot louder." Her laugh is interrupted by a groan of pleasure.

Tony bites his lip as his cock begs for relief. "Fuck it, I'm coming!"

"I'll kick your ass!" she threatens, bucking against his length.

"Jesus, Romanoff!"

Her belly seizes and she starts seeing white. Natasha gets his head to rub her exactly where she needs him until she completely comes undone. She heavily pants and falls against Tony's chest.

"Not bad," he mutters, gently rocking his hips until slipping out of her.

Natasha swears she can hear Loki's chuckling at the back of her skull. "Don't expect a round two."

"Not that desperate?" he snorts.

Natasha rolls her eyes and gets herself cleaned up before heading home.

Needless to say, a onetime fling with Iron Man isn't enough to get rid of her trickster god.

 _"How desperate you've become without me, Natalia," the Loki of her dream reports. "Tell me, how was the metal man?" he wonders as he snakes his arms around her hips._

 _Natasha wrinkles her nose. "You're in my head. How?"_

 _"Perhaps you are simply dreaming of me…"_

 _"Every night? I don't think so…" She attempts to wriggle free of Loki's grasp._

 _"You catch on quickly," he winks._

 _Natasha narrows her eyes. "You're planning something. What?" He attempts to silence her with a kiss. Natasha judges his choice of action, but the next thing she knows, they're humping like rabbits on a bed of silk sheets._

Come morning, Natasha only remembers another dream of wild sex.


	9. Chapter 9

"You seem tense, Loki," Frigga notices as she observes her son from behind an invisible barrier.

Loki continues to pace in his enclosure. He's been expecting Thanos to appear for days now, but so far, no visit. Loki wonders if he's aware Heimdall is watching. He assumes the titan is awaiting an opening to make his grand attack.

"Distracted…" the golden-haired goddess continues.

Loki flashes her a glare. "You honestly expect me to feel content as Odin's prisoner?"

"Loki," she warns with an equally fierce glare. "We both know you deserve this. Be thankful that I've negotiated your sentence."

"Of course, mother," he sneers. "A lifetime in prison versus death. How _lucky_ I am…"

"He never intended to kill you, Loki," Frigga advises.

" _Please._ " Loki slumps down upon a velvet chaise and stares up at the ceiling. His toying with the red-headed Midgardian is his only true source of amusement. "Why not get away, Mother?" Truth be told, Loki has a soft spot for the woman he calls his mother. Being the only one to show him any mercy, he wishes to repay her with a chance at life. If anyone is to escape Thanos' wrath, it should be Frigga. "Vanaheim is always lovely at this time."

"Loki." Her mother's intuition knows he's avoiding the subject. "Your father…" She catches Loki wrinkling his nose. "He loves you dearly."

"He requested that I be shackled in this cage," Loki reminds her, wrinkling his nose.

"Enough, Loki!" the goddess warns in a commanding tone.

The trickster falls quiet as he watches her with a stubborn pout.

Frigga sharply inhales, then slowly exhales through her nose. Her features soften as a smile forms across her lips. "I'll bring you something to read," she suggests. "Will that calm you?"

Loki refuses to break eye contact with her. "Perhaps Jotunheim will have some literature I'd care for."

"Loki," she drawls, dragging out the last syllable of his name.

"Or Vanaheim-I've picked up many a good book from there."

Frigga sighs, but maintains her calm demeanor. "I pray you will be on your best behavior."

Loki flashes her a smirk. "Take your time, mother." He watches her gracefully spin on her heel and descend down a dark corridor. Loki relaxes on his chaise and lets his eyelids droop. He has a date with a particular assassin this evening…

 _"You need to stop this," Natasha growls._

 _Loki relaxes in a King-sized bed and widely grins._

 _"I've fucked Stark three times now," she scowls, further pleasing the trickster._

 _"And he doesn't compare…" Loki summons her into the bed with him. She's drawn forward against her will in nothing but a sheer gown. "Your body craves only me…"_

 _Natasha crawls onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. "Then why not come back and fuck me in person."_

 _"I've been contained," Loki bitterly states._

 _"And you can't escape?"_

 _"Soon," he promises, a hand reaching out to cup her breast. "Very soon…"_

Natasha awakens with an uneasy feeling growing in her gut.

* * *

"I think you're crazy," Tony flatly states.

"I think it seems logical," Bruce counters.

"Yeah," Tony snorts, "let her communicate with the intergalactic bad boy."

"He's up to something," Natasha tiredly repeats.

Tony gives her a sideways stare. "That's what your spy instincts are telling you?"

"Don't you think he turned himself in a little too easily?" Natasha replies.

"We kinda had him cornered," Tony reminds her.

She snorts. "Humans versus a god who knows magic. How well do you _really_ think that would've gone down?"

Bruce steps away from the two to stare at his monitor. "She has a point, Tony," he timidly

interrupts. "For all we know, we're right where Loki wants us."

Tony hates to be proven wrong. But more than that, he hates having his lab partner agree with a tightly wound assassin. "Okay, then," he shrugs, sauntering over to a table to fish a snack from the top drawer. "Let's say we're in Loki's game. How do you expect us to fight back?"

Bruce coughs and lets his eyes wander to the scepter resting on a workbench.

Tony turns his head to eye what his friend is ogling. "We haven't figured out how the thing works."

"Funny." Natasha crosses her arms. "I thought you'd have that thing all figured out. Don't you like fondling big sticks, Stark?"

He shoots her a warning glare. "What if we open up another portal? Better yet-we open up the

 _same_ portal and nearly get our asses handed to us?"

"You're afraid of some aliens?" Natasha teases.

"And you're not?" he growls.

"I can contact Eric Selvig," Bruce suggests in hopes of breaking up a potential feud. "Better yet, Jane Foster. Thor mentioned her, didn't he?"

"We're smarter than those guys," Tony gruffly remarks. "What takes them weeks takes us minutes."

Natasha arches a brow in Tony's direction. "So you're in?" She saunters over to the scepter and crosses her arms.

"No point in wasting time tracking down an old man and Blondie's gal pal."

She chuckles at Tony's joke and reaches for the scepter. The second her fingers graze the sleek handle, a searing pain wracks her skull. She immediately backs away from the table with gritted teeth.

"Natasha?" Bruce catches her contorted features and worry crosses his face. "Did you see something?"

The burning pain subsides and she turns to Bruce. "Did you?"

He innocently blinks. "I only assumed… D-did you really see something?"

She shakes her head. "No… No, just have a migraine coming on."

"And the scepter caused it?" Bruce is afraid to touch it after having a previous outburst while holding it, but Tony is quick to snatch it up and examine it closely.

"I feel fine," the inventor notes.

"Natasha was under its power," Bruce replies. "That could be the cause… Maybe it responds to her fingerprints. Or her brain waves… You were under Loki's control with this."

Natasha weakly nods.

Tony gives the redhead a careful stare. "You under anything now?"

She glares in his direction. "If I was, Stark, you'd be dead."

Tony wrinkles his nose. "Harsh."

"Let's just forget it." Natasha proceeds to walk away, but Tony forces the scepter's blade to brush against her arm. Her feet freeze as she sees Loki's smirk amidst a thick fog. He's planning something. She's more sure of it than ever. Natasha scowls and steps away from the weapon. "That thing messed with my brain, Stark. Keep it away."

"Didn't feel anything?" he wonders, eying her curiously.

"No," she flatly answers. "I didn't." Natasha leaves the two men to their own devices. If Loki intends to return, she knows that she'll be the first person he greets…

* * *

Back on Asgard, Loki is smiling to himself.

"Heimdall senses a disturbance on Midgard," Frigga states, leafing through a thick tome she's picked out for her son. "Thor is devastated-it has to do with the scepter you left behind."

Loki's smile falls as Frigga glances up at him. "A disturbance? Can he stop it?" He feigns worry in his voice and hopes that Frigga will buy the act.

"Thor wishes to go to ensure Lady Jane is safe," she continues, watching as Loki rolls his eyes. "His newfound friends, as well."

"What danger awaits?" he prods.

Frigga's eyes narrow. "Someone strong. Stronger than your father, even…"

Loki raises a brow. "Odin plans to pay Midgard a visit?"

The goddess bows her head. "He hopes that stealing this scepter Thor spoke of will draw the threat away."

"Why not send Thor to do his bidding?"

Frigga is quiet for a moment. "Your father and Heimdall fear that said threat will make themselves known. Given that happens… he wishes to handle this."

Though his face refuses to show it, he's grinning like a fool on the inside. He knows it's only a matter of time before Asgard is rightfully his…


End file.
